Spring has sprung, May long weekend is days away and the mother of all draft tournaments is knocking at our door. That’s right, it’s nearly time for 12 teams’ worth of hockey hooligans to head for the mountains and take over Canmore once again.

The buzz around this year’s tourney is palpable as draft night inches closer. And there are plenty of reasons to be excited. If you’ve been to the Canmore Draft Tournament (drafttournament.com/blog/portfolio/canmore/) then you can probably think of a few reasons you’d absolutely go back. We asked some of the people signed up for this weekend’s debauchery, and these are the top 10 reasons why they’re pumped for Canmore.

“Seeing all you wonderful people” – Lindsey Q.

We’re serving up a thick slice of cheese right off the bat, but cheese is delicious so deal with it. Draftees spend a solid weekend together drinking, laughing, sweating, drinking … did we forget anything? Oh yeah, playing hockey. At least, those of us who don’t oversleep after draft night. You go through a lot together. The word “family” comes up again and again, but there’s really nothing else that describes the friendships you build at these tournaments. If you’ve been to one, you’re nodding as you read this. If you haven’t been to one … try it and we dare you to tell us we’re wrong.

“The many faces of Colin S.” – Rod M.

Every family has that cousin who’s the life of the party. Draft family is lucky to have a couple of those, and you can count on them to bring the costumes out for the weekend. Our beloved Colin is known for his characters, including walking nightmare Herpes the Clown. We can honestly say we’re happy Colin is in the beginner round … if that masked creature could skate 100 mph, we might actually crap our hockey pants.

The tournament themes inspire lots of players to get dressed up for the draft, and we highly encourage it! Whether it’s rodeo themed, Top Gun, the Village People or something even more random, our draft masses are always looking good.

“My first draft tournament!” – Adam W.

We can rave about drafts until we’re blue in the face, but you won’t know the truth until you experience the real deal. Everyone remembers their first time. It might be a fuzzy memory, but it’s unforgettable!

Do you want your first time to be with Nick, Dani, April and/or Brett? Tweet us at @BeerLeagueTalk and let us know who you’d wanna share your first time with. We can tell you which tourneys each of us will be at. Beer League Talk, making fantasies come true!

“BEER” – Brendan M.

If you haven’t heard yet, a crucial part of these tournaments is how you can handle your cup o’ beer. Not just for bragging rights for the best alcohol tolerance – though that goes a long way too. When you get drafted onto a team, you’re handed a cup of beer. As is everyone in your draft round. And on GO, you chug. Chug your tiny little heart out. Because the order you finish in will determine the order your team drafts for the next round.

A photo posted by Beer League Talk (@beerleaguetalk) on May 7, 2016 at 7:15am PDT

“The awesome pics of TJ Chase” – Rod M.

When it comes to hockey photography, TJ chase is the #1 snap show in town. This guy kills it behind the lens – and he’s pretty damn good with the dangles on the ice too. It’s a highlight for many when the tourney pics start popping up on Facebook. So if you see this man in the bar, shake his hand and buy him a beer. It’ll be worth it.Note: This number may have upset Nick a little, seeing as he’s one of the other official photographers of the Draft Tournament. In fact, his reaction went a little something like this:“Screw you guys! TJ Chase has a ‘who to shoot’ list … I now have a ‘who not to shoot list!’” – Nick F.“Maybe we just forget everyone else. I’ll just shoot you and you just shoot me. The albums will contain 160 photos of only two players. That’ll teach them.” – TJ Chase“Better idea TJ, let’s not play at all. Take photos of everyone and then never release them. MWAHAHAHA” – Nick F.Ok that got dark real fast… This Photo of TJ Chase… brought to you by not T.J. Chase #ThatOtherPhotoGuy

“First overall pick! I get to be a goalie this time” – Brendan M.

Anyone with elementary math and reasoning skills can figure out that there’s a limited number of spots for goalies at our tournaments. They can be pretty coveted spots, so it’s a highlight when you snag one. The beauty of this all-skill-level tournament is that if you don’t get in as a goalie, you can sign up as a skater. No, seriously, it doesn’t matter how bad you are! And if Vegas 2016 was any indication, goalies may turn out to be pretty darn good danglers too.

We can’t help but wonder if Jason was being sarcastic on this one. Canmore 2016 is the first time the theme has been kept secret, and some frustrated draftees are ready to blow up a planet just to get a glimpse of the jerseys. They check Facebook daily with a new hope that details will be released, but no luck. And if anyone claims they know the theme, trust us: It’s a trap.

IT’S A METAPHOR GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER. But seriously, smack talking your friends is one of the best parts of these tourneys. When people ask if there’s a way to make sure you get on your friend’s team, we laugh. It’s more fun to play against your friends. When else will you get an opportunity to rub them out into the boards? Or strip them of the puck in front of everyone! Sometimes getting drafted to different teams is a blessing in disguise.

Again.. This Photo of TJ Chase… brought to you by not T.J. Chase #ThatOtherPhotoGuy

“Hopefully not puking Saturday morning during the first game!! I look forward to getting past that!” – Al M.

Ok, look. Sometimes people underestimate the power of the draft party. If you come in unprepared, it can get the best of you. These parties are so fun that you might want the night to never end. And some choose just that… and forget to go to bed. Now, we’re not your mom so we’re not gonna tell you when to go to bed. But sleep is scientifically proven to help your performance. And who can argue with science?

Just don’t be surprised if you wake up to see something as random as construction signs that were hauled into the hotel lobby in the middle of the night. You may even find out that you were the one who did it (how many beers did you have again?)

“Hockey in Canada! Canadian chicks/hockey hotties!” – Robert C.

April and Dani will be the first to tell you that Canadian hockey chicks are just better. It’s the birthplace of hockey, how can you go wrong? We welcome all our American brothers (and sisters) to our home and native land, where the mountains are perky, the air is fresh and the beer is oh-so cold. Joking aside, Canmore truly is a beautiful area and we hope you get a chance to explore a little outside the rink.

SEE SOMEONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH ME. Also he called it defence, not interfering. At least that’s what I assume D means. Interference doesn’t start with D. So there.

If you’ve read all these testimonies and still find yourself wondering if it could really be THAT good, it’s about time you sign up and see if the proof’s in the pudding. As for you beauties who are revved and ready for Canmore, we can’t wait to see you there! Register for all the other great tournaments coming up in places like Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Vancouver by clicking here: DRAFT TOURNAMENT WEBSITE